Rangers and cultural armor

[Hawala]

So my best friend just started EQ and wanted to make a Ranger. As a pretty high level blacksmith, I am looking for what to make him, and I just made the discovery that Rangers get screwed over bad in the cultural armor area.

Paladins, Warriors and Shadowknights get tremendous advantage out of the plate sets, and the chain sets that Rangers can use is also usable by intelligence casters and druids.

Please tell me this is wrong.

[Samoht]

All of the cultural chain is pretty bad. The only exception is the dwarf/brell chain, but it's deity specific and short races only.

There's a lot of other things available that he can wear, like Hero Bracers (http://wiki.project1999.org/Hero_bracers) and Tree Weave (http://wiki.project1999.org/Tree_Weave) - low end stuff that's easy to afford and quite good.

DWBs (http://wiki.project1999.org/Dwarven_work_boots)
Crested Helm (http://wiki.project1999.org/Crested_Helm)
Iksar Scaled Gloves (http://wiki.project1999.org/Iksar_Scaled_Gloves)

[vulzol]

Ivy etched (http://wiki.project1999.org/Ivy_Etched_Armor_Quests) is nice too ...


Hammerhead Helm (http://wiki.project1999.org/index.php/Hammerhead_Helm)

[Itap]

Please tell me this is wrong.

No, rangers pretty much get the shaft until post Luclin

[Ephirith]

In addition to what Samoht mentioned, avoid all the ivy etched pieces except the sleeves, they aren't really any good and there's better and more cost effective alternatives in the other slots. You want to maximize AC/STR in every slot and there are plenty of cheap items that accomplish this.

Some of the sebilite scale/kylong pieces are pretty good with a decent contribution of AC and STR.

The single greatest gear decision you can make as a noob ranger is to pick up a Silver Swiftblade 1-20, and then a Woodsman's Staff 20-epic. Avoid dual wielding; it really sucks balls. Unless you're constantly tanking, avoid most of the tolan's pieces and pick up an AC/STR compromise in that slot.

Definitely avoid any kind of cultural usable by a ranger.

[SirAlvarex]

I will say this, if you have a higher level character, the Ivy Etched armor (exception boots) are really simple to solo. Most of the mobs are out in the open and never killed since their only purpose is making Ivy Etched armor. I knocked the Legs/Tunic out in a few hours one evening just for fun.

But honestly he'll do fine in just banded armor for a long time. Most group settings that'll be more than enough to get by. Just get him the Swiftblade and Woodsman's Staff like Ephirith said and he'll be more than fine. Oh, and the usual + hp/ac gear that goes on most twinks (rings, earrings, etc).

[webrunner5]

Just save yourself a lot of time and talk him or her out of making a Ranger. Pretty simple.:rolleyes:

[Ephirith]

Just save yourself a lot of time and talk him or her out of making a Ranger. Pretty simple.:rolleyes:

It's a fun class and it can be effective if you aren't retarded. You can really surprise people if you actually use your abilities and gear properly.

Yep, rogues/monks are better in just about every way but they are also laughably easy to play and, in my opinion, boring as shit.

[Tasslehofp99]

Rangers are underrated imo, they are pretty badass situationally. As for gear, I'd honestly suggest just getting the cheapest shittiest shit you can survive with at lower levels because honestly who even knows if your friend is going to want to struggle through 60 levels of not getting invited to groups, having to die a lot, and dealing with that shitty exp penalty.

[Thulack]

2x golden amber earrings
Seb Scale Cap
Sarnak Hide Mask
Spiked Collar
White-wolf Hide Cloak
Tattered Mantle/Bloodstained Mantle
Hero Bracer/Seb Scale Bracelet/Kylong Bracer
Dwarven Work Boots
Iksar Scale Gloves
Kylong/Silver-plated/Seb Scale Leggings
Ivy Etched Arms
Brigantine Tunic
Black Iron/Drakescale Belt(might be better Always have haste personally in waste so not sure on a cheap twink alternative here)
2x Plat Fire Wedding Rings
Silver Swiftblade
Runed Oak Bow

All of these items can be had for under 500pp each except your leg slot and even then would be like 600-750 if you are patient while searching.

[webrunner5]

It's a fun class and it can be effective if you aren't retarded. You can really surprise people if you actually use your abilities and gear properly.

Yep, rogues/monks are better in just about every way but they are also laughably easy to play and, in my opinion, boring as shit.

Its not a fun class unless you have a Fungi and a CoF. Even then they still suck. It was not till they came out with AA's that they got better. And I had a epic Ranger on live in like 2002, 2003. I have tried them on here and they just blow ass. Fungi or not.

Sony screwed up big time with all the Hybrids. I think that is the main reason they EVER came out with AA's was to shore them up. The only one they sort of got right was SK's. There is a reason a Ranger and a Pally are the least played toons on here by a mile.

[Visual]

I guess that's why people beg me to group wherever I go on Numero

[Waedawen]

You are running into the exact reason why there aren't carbon-copy rangers running around

That said, if you do properly itemize a ranger with HP and AC and weapons, you will kick serious ass

Player skill & itemization go much further than the class itself, especially in the case of Rangers & Paladins.

[duneadx]

Its not a fun class unless you have a Fungi and a CoF.

I usually agree with you webrunner but this one I don't, and mine has neither of those things :p I recently made a ranger because at this point I have played just about everything to a substantial level on here and my ranger is by FAR the most interesting to play. No, it doesn't dps as well as monk or rogue and yes, it's spells aren't the best for the level by the time you attain them, but you have to look at the utility of the class. It's already been said a million times on here but just consider it a challenge if ranger is what you truly want to play. It makes it that much more rewarding to take it to a decent level!

[webrunner5]

I usually agree with you webrunner but this one I don't, and mine has neither of those things :p I recently made a ranger because at this point I have played just about everything to a substantial level on here and my ranger is by FAR the most interesting to play. No, it doesn't dps as well as monk or rogue and yes, it's spells aren't the best for the level by the time you attain them, but you have to look at the utility of the class. It's already been said a million times on here but just consider it a challenge if ranger is what you truly want to play. It makes it that much more rewarding to take it to a decent level!

I Love Rangers. Really. I have one on every MMO I play. They get a ton of cool spells and can DPS about as good as a Warrior. But I play it about a week with killer gear and get pissed off that they are gimped on here and go back my Warrior or Monk for fun beating on stuff.

When Velious comes out they will get Fear Animal and that is sweet. And they will be great for tracking the big zones in Velious. BUT they will be even more squishy the way the mobs hit there. On paper they ought to be the best class in EQ, but they end up being the worse in reality. I have grouped with a few in like MM or KC that were killer at pulling. But like I said there are very few Rangers on here for a reason. And they are pretty damn cheap to equip. They just should have made them even more killer with a bow like they are now on live.